Striker James Norwood believes he should have scored more goals this season and says he’s already missed more chances during 2019/20 than he did during the last campaign with Tranmere Rovers.
Norwood, currently League One’s joint-third top scorer with five, netted 32 times for the Prenton Park club last season as they won promotion from League Two via the play-offs.
"Yes, absolutely,” the 29-year-old immediately shot back when asked if he felt he ought to have scored more in his opening eight games for the Blues.
"I think I’ve already missed more chances this season than I did last season, so I’m obviously frustrated with how things are going a little bit.
"But I’m on five goals, I can’t complain. I’ve just got to look at the positives - I’m getting chances. I think I’d be frustrated if I wasn’t getting chances, and we’re winning games.
"I think on Saturday [at home to Doncaster], the last-minute miss obviously hit me hard because it cost us two points.
"I don’t deal with those the best but you’ve got to keep looking forward and I’ll get another chance on Saturday if selected.”
"He admits he ruminates upon misses such as that one over the course of the next day: "Yes, 24 hours I let it bother me for, then it’s gone. There’s no point dragging it through the week.
"I think you can sit on it because you play on the Saturday, sit on it all night, wake up annoyed angry and it’s almost 12 hours.
"So you get on with it and come training on the Sunday it’s forgotten about and you start looking forward to the Tuesday or the Saturday.”
The one-time England C international says he’s getting sharper and, having gone two games without a goal, foresees himself adding a few to his total soon.
"Yes, I think so,” he reflected. "I think I need to work on a few things but I know I just need one to fly in and I tend to score in batches and I’m looking to get that one and starting again.”
Norwood says he’s enjoyed playing alongside Kayden Jackson: "I think you can see how well we work together. We’ve got nine goals between us, and three assists, so obviously that’s massive.
"Strikers win games, defences win leagues. If the strikers keep firing we’ll keep winning games, if the defence keep doing what they’re doing we’ll be alright come the end of the season.”
The Blues number 10 admits he has been hugely impressed by reent re-signing Will Keane in training: "Brilliant, I think during one of the first training sessions, I said to Gilly [first-team coach Matt Gill], ‘Oh my God! He’s brilliant him!’.
"I’m looking forward to playing some part with him, if I do. I think me and Kayden are going to try and make it as difficult for him as possible but we get on really well with each other but we all want to play.
"If Keano comes in then one of us is sacrificed and we’ve got to make sure that we don’t give it to him easily.”
Norwood believes manager Paul Lambert can pair any two from the trio: "That’s the best thing about us, we’ve got players that can play in different ways. I can play with Kayden, I can play with Keano, Keano can play with Kayden.
"We’ve got so much fluidity through the frontline, we've got Jordan Roberts as well who can come on and play with any of the three of us. There’s so much space for rotation and it’s about not giving the shirt up.”
With Jon Nolan and Emyr Huws both back in the team, the supply line from midfield is looking even more potent.
"It’s endless, isn’t it?” Norwood enthused. "There are six or seven lads that play in the centre of the midfield, you’ve got Andre Dozzell as well, who has struggled for game time this season but is more than capable enough. When he did start he slipped me through on goal.
"Wherever we are, across the four, even to the full-backs, there’s supply everywhere for strikers and you’re licking your lips every time you go into a game.”
Despite boss Lambert’s rotation policy Norwood has been one of those to start every League One game but he won’t complain if he is rested for a match at some point.
"The gaffer’s brought me here to do what I do,” he continued. "My past tells you that I play 45, 50 games a season. I’m robust in that sense and it’s something I can do.
"But if the gaffer wants to make changes, eight, nine, 10 games in, then that’s fine. We’ve got players that can fill in and we’ve proven that week in, week out with the rotational system.
"Of course I’d accept that. I think we’re all professional footballers. Whatever’s best for the team and what in the gaffer’s eyes is the best thing for the team.
"Obviously you want to play every single game but the majority, if not all, the lads won’t do that this season. It’s something you’ve got to accept and if the games are coming thick and fast it’s only good in the long run.”